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NEW: 35 cron and 50 lux available in BLACK CHROME


skinnfell

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Does it come with free sandpaper to build your own "reporter" set?

 

 

Black chrome lenses are sought after in the used marked to its good so see these available again, with round hood and everything, not to mention vintage design on the 50.

These would look good on my monochrom...

 

Either way this COULD also mean that Leica feels the 35 cron cannot be improved upon anytime soon.

Or it could mean they just have some spares from the Lenni Cravitz deal.

Edited by skinnfell
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Does it come with free sandpaper to build your own "reporter" set?

 

 

Black chrome lenses are sought after in the used marked to its good so see these available again, with round hood and everything, not to mention vintage design on the 50.

These would look good on my monochrom...

 

Either way this COULD also mean that Leica feels the 35 cron cannot be improved upon anytime soon.

Or it could mean they just have some spares from the Lenni Cravitz deal.

 

 

And they have run out of sandpaper....:D

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somehow i do not think leica actually has released black chrome lenses before. the only one that comes to mind is the 50mm summicron 'prototype' after the rigid for the M4.

 

most other black lenses are all anodized aluminum and black paints were usually executed as limited editions in recent history or in very limited quantities for the vintage (e.g. 50 cron rigid or 35 cron 8 elements.

 

this new lenses' finish should match the monochrom's black chrome finish superbly. i initially thought they may reserve this lens release together with the new cmos based monochrom coming out shortly.

 

so you can't really sandpaper this like the black paint on the lenny edition.

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this new lenses' finish should match the monochrom's black chrome finish superbly.

 

Indeed. The current monochrom and black M-A has a "satin" silky, very matte finish that is exceptionally resilient to scratches. It looks and feel wonderful. It almost seems like the finish "eats" up scratches. My monochrom looks like new after two years of use.

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Indeed. The current monochrom and black M-A has a "satin" silky, very matte finish that is exceptionally resilient to scratches. It looks and feel wonderful. It almost seems like the finish "eats" up scratches. My monochrom looks like new after two years of use.

 

I see now that my original post hinted at black PAINT lenses being sought after. I suppose these beaut's will be too.

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No-one said the lens' mount was aluminium...

 

*sigh* ...let us clarify:

 

All the black Leica lenses with yellow painted US-feet scale is black anodised aluminum.

 

Black lenses with red painted US-feet scale is either a black paint finish or a black chrome finish. Both of which is based on a bass alloy, not aluminium.

 

Yes, decades ago Leica made standard production black paint lenses based on brass, before they switched over to black anodised finishes. In the past 15 years, Leica has made black paint lenses for a limited run only (usually as part of a collector set).

 

I can only think of one limited edition run, where Leica made a black chrome lens based on the 35mm Summicron ASPH, but with a v2 Summicron shape. Leica have made black chrome lenses before, but they were prototypes only, and not ment as a regular item for purchase.

 

Seriously, for Leica to now offer a regular production lens in a black chrome finish is a pretty big fucking thing. This has never been done before in Leica-land, and I'm personally SUPER excited about this. I am sooo much into black chrome, I will have to find the funds for a black chrome 35mm Summicron ASPH!

 

(side note: traditionally silver chrome lenses are also based on brass alloys, but in recent years Leica have started to release silver anodised lenses based on aluminium. This makes sense, as a silver chrome Noctilux based on brass would be ridiculously heavy, that's why Leica made it out of aluminium instead)

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Seriously, for Leica to now offer a regular production lens in a black chrome finish is a pretty big fucking thing. This has never been done before in Leica-land, and I'm personally SUPER excited about this. I am sooo much into black chrome, I will have to find the funds for a black chrome 35mm Summicron ASPH!)

 

I don't see the purpose in this. Aluminium is a light weight and appropriate material for a compact lens. Why change to a heavier material, what benefit is there to the photographer to be carrying around an extra 100 grams or so for a mostly same looking black finish?

It's a tool and the requirement is for a tough yet light material.

Edited by Mornnb
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I don't see the purpose in this. Aluminium is a light weight and appropriate material for a compact lens. Why change to a heavier material, what benefit is there to the photographer to be carrying around an extra 100 grams or so for a mostly same looking black finish?

It's a tool and the requirement is for a tough yet light material.

 

It has been reported that the 50mm Summilux ASPH lens mount in particular is a bit too lightweight to smoothly move the weight of the head and floating elements in the helicoids without a bit of stiction. Certainly mine is currently back with Leica for a service due to this reason.

 

Hopefully the brass lens has beefed up helicoids for a smoother feel.

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It has been reported that the 50mm Summilux ASPH lens mount in particular is a bit too lightweight to smoothly move the weight of the head and floating elements in the helicoids without a bit of stiction. Certainly mine is currently back with Leica for a service due to this reason.

 

It took DAG to improve mine, as discussed here.

 

Jeff

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I think I must be lucky, because my 2012 copy of the black 50mm Summilux ASPH had effortlessly smooth, knife through butter focussing, straight out of the box.

 

I must say that the new retro brass and black chrome 50mm Summilux ASPH looks absolutely gorgeous. I don't think it has a focussing tab, though, does it?

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.

 

Seriously, for Leica to now offer a regular production lens in a black chrome finish is a pretty big fucking thing.

 

I agree, big thing.

 

However the BH ad states limited production to 500 pcs. If so, it's cheap.

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